KOR- Views Olympic Park as a sanctuary and life jacket for political momentum
- Definition of election fraud is 'systematic manipulation'—which did not exist
- Must conduct a public recount via special counsel... People Power Party's opposition makes no sense
- Opposing recount out of fear of losing plaza momentum? That is flawed politics
- Amplifying conspiracy theories leaves no chance of revival for the right wing
- Unlike the U.S., we conduct manual counts sheet by sheet... low possibility of fraud
- Jang Dong-hyeok longing for Yoon? We must atone for the failure of the Yoon administration
- Kim Seung-won confirmation hearing? Overflowing with issues including solicitation to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and stock manipulation
- Adopting Han Dong-hoon as a witness? Now is the time to unite for the fight against the ruling party
- Must lift internal party disciplinary actions and reinstate him... cast aside petty egos
- Lee's remarks on term limits? Inconsequential stopgap measure and wordplay lacking sincerity
- Troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz? Absolutely necessary... the president will also make the decision
■ Program: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.)
■ Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, People Power Party
[Kim Tae-hyun] : He has recently been voicing sharp criticism against the party leadership day after day from within the People Power Party. We speak with five-term senior lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party. Lawmaker Yoon, hello.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Hello.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : It has been a long time, sir.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : It truly has been a long time.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : So much has happened in the meantime.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : A great deal has happened. With the emergency martial law decree, the impeachment, and more, it has been genuinely tumultuous.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : From the People Power Party's perspective, these past few years must have been incredibly turbulent. Let us start by discussing Party Leader Jang Dong-hyeok. Recently, he has been visiting Olympic Park quite frequently. In several interviews, you have strongly criticized him, saying that the party leadership has jumped on the bandwagon of election fraud conspiracy theories. Recently, Floor Leader Chung Jeom-shik delivered a parliamentary address on behalf of our negotiating bloc. That was a crucial schedule for the People Power Party. Yet Leader Jang left in the middle of it and went to Olympic Park. When asked why he went, it was reported that sports organizations were retrieving their equipment due to the Asian Games, and upon receiving that report, he visited the site. How did you view that move?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Looking at Leader Jang's recent activities, first regarding election fraud: Anchor Kim, I believe we must first clarify the meaning and definition of election fraud. For example, on the main voting day of the June 3 local elections, polling station number 2 in Jamsil 7-dong operated until 10:00 p.m. Some people claim that this is fraudulent.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Also, we vote across 14,288 locations. At each location, hourly voter turnout figures are compiled, aren't they? Civil servants assigned to local election commissions at towns, townships, and neighborhoods handle this. In doing so, mistakes can occur in the tallying. Some write down cumulative numbers by mistake, and then they correct them. People then seize upon that and frame it as arbitrary manipulation of voter turnout, jumping to claims of vote tally rigging and election fraud.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : However, what the political arena refers to as election fraud—akin to the March 15 rigged election—means intentional, planned, and systematic manipulation of voting and ballot counting to ensure the election or defeat of a specific candidate.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Manipulating the vote totals.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Yes. In other words, swapping ballot papers to elect a particular candidate is what is meant by election fraud. To this day, there is no evidence whatsoever of such actions.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Yet they continuously demand re-elections, single-day voting, and manual hand counting citing election fraud. So I proposed: let us conduct a public recount. If there are suspicions of fraud, let us recount Songpa Handball Gymnasium, Songdo 1-dong and 2-dong, early voting within Incheon mayoral jurisdiction, and the twin polling stations. But Leader Jang publicly opposed that. And yet, he went to Olympic Park again.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : And on that day, from our perspective, the floor leader gave an excellent address on behalf of the negotiating bloc. However, Leader Jang did not attend at all. Instead, he headed straight to Olympic Park.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : So he did not just leave in the middle; he did not attend at all?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : That is correct. He rushed off to Olympic Park. Of course, listening to the voices there is important. But leaving behind parliamentary politics to go out to the plaza, beating drums and holding loudspeakers—how must that appear in the eyes of the public? It leaves much to be desired. That is why I believe that rather than engaging in politics that rides on the roar of the plaza, securing fighting power against the ruling party and establishing strategies within parliament is far more vital.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : What kind of place do you think Olympic Park represents to Leader Jang Dong-hyeok?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Following the defeat in the June 3 local elections, calls for Leader Jang's resignation emerged rapidly, didn't they? Whenever that happens, there seem to be two places he visits: one is the hospital, and the other is the plaza. In a way, he appears to regard the plaza as a stronghold and sanctuary to secure political momentum.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : The hospital and the plaza.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Yes, that seems to be how he thinks. It serves as a sort of source to revitalize his political strength, like a life jacket. Listening to the voices of the plaza is fine. However, rather than exploiting the anger and suspicions of the plaza, offering solutions within the institutional framework is far more important. Leader Jang must demonstrate that he can transcend this Olympic Park style of politics.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : In any case, regardless of whether the crowd is large or small, protesters are gathered at Olympic Park within the institutional realm. This must be resolved somehow.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : That is precisely why I advocated for a public recount—to tell those at Olympic Park the truth. I even suggested including citizen representatives at Olympic Park as reference witnesses and opening up the 2.47 million ballots at Songpa Handball Gymnasium. Furthermore, the special counsel offered to visit in person. Prosecutors and 14 investigators would come to inspect any damaged ballots or anomalies using non-destructive optical inspection equipment, yet this was rejected.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : But that opposition came not from the ruling party, but from within the People Power Party itself.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : It came from within our own party.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Frankly, the reason for opposing it does not make sense to me. Why do you think they oppose it?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : It makes no sense to me either. I have been raising this for months. While it might sound like a weak excuse, it comes down to maintaining plaza momentum, political momentum. Some even argue: "Opening the boxes won't reveal much. It will only do a favor for the National Election Commission. Shouldn't we leverage the momentum of the plaza?" That is deeply flawed politics. I say this candidly. If we think that way, the media and the public will see right through it. Our politics must be anchored in truth and righteousness. Although there were internal debates, it was agreed that if a special counsel was involved, a public recount would take place. Floor Leader Chung Jeom-shik even pledged that as long as at least one special counsel was present, a public review would be conducted.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Not only was the special counsel ready, but 14 investigators were set to arrive and carry out non-destructive optical examinations, yet our side claimed we could not proceed. This is deeply regrettable, and I feel truly apologetic and distressed about it.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Then, lawmaker, is the mainstream faction, including Leader Jang Dong-hyeok, worried that the fighting front at Olympic Park might collapse? Because if a recount reveals no problems whatsoever, the justification to continue protesting disappears.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : When the recount was conducted for the Chungju mayoral election, there was virtually no discrepancy.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : It was virtually identical, wasn't it?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : It was a difference of just two votes, 124 to 122. There was likewise barely any difference in the Tongyeong mayoral election. So people say, "What is the point of opening them up if nothing will come out?" But I genuinely wanted to find out. A voter who cast a ballot in Songpa-gu claimed that the mayoral ballot only listed two candidates: Jung Won-oh and Oh Se-hoon, while candidates Kim Jeong-cheol and Kwon Young-gook were missing. I wanted to verify that. At Woosung Apartment's polling station number 2 in Jamsil 7-dong, ballots ran out, so voting continued until 10:00 p.m., with 175 waiting tickets issued. Of course, 12 people did not return. Conspiracy theorists seized on this to claim that ballot boxes containing 1,900 votes were burned despite an application for preservation of evidence, and that the ballots inside vanished. So I inquired with the Songpa-gu Election Commission, and they confirmed that the ballots remain intact. I wanted to know the truth. I genuinely wanted to confirm whether there was election fraud or not. That is why I called for a public recount. Yet politicians in our party who cater to the plaza ask why we should do it. They argue that if optical testing takes three full days, conspiracy theorists will nitpick every single detail and raise endless suspicions in the plaza. Those driven by conspiracy theories have no limit. That is why we must draw a clear line. We must continuously inform the public based on facts and evidence.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : If the conservative wing continues to reproduce unfounded suspicions and falls into an abyss without evidence, there will be no chance for our revival. I am speaking out of genuine loyalty to our country and party. When people ask why Yoon Sang-hyun is taking this stance, it is genuinely for the sake of truth and history. If the conservative wing does not wake up properly, this nation will fall apart. That is why I am saying this.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : You are speaking out to overcome these conspiracy theories about rigged elections, but it seems quite a few within the party refuse to listen. Is that right?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : There are indeed those who refuse to listen.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Using it as their political fuel...
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Yet there are many who actually agree with me.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : There are many?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : But they do not speak up.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Why is that?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Have we only run in one or two elections? Have senior lawmakers only been through elections once or twice? Take the issue of alleged turnout manipulation: honestly, when recording hourly voter turnout, 300,000 public servants are mobilized. Errors happen during entry. When an erroneous entry is corrected, approval should typically be obtained from the regional election commission. Yet sometimes they do not even bother obtaining it, saying, "As long as the final tally of total voters matches, it's fine." That is how it gets done. And then critics label that as manipulation, arguing that vote tallies must also be rigged and that it constitutes election fraud. That is Leader Jang Dong-hyeok's exact phrasing.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Consider this: even if electronic tallies show minor discrepancies, outcomes are not determined by computers alone. Some 300,000 personnel verify every single paper ballot by hand, party observers inspect them, and results are recorded on analog vote tally sheets. We know how the system operates, but the general public may not. We must stop steering the narrative in such a misleading way.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : But lawmaker, that day Leader Jang held a loudspeaker featuring photos of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and President Trump, as seen in the footage playing right now.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Both of them are figures who claim election fraud.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : The voting and counting systems in South Korea and the United States are fundamentally different. The U.S. relies heavily on electronic networks, with mail-in voting accounting for around 30 percent. We do not count electronically; we count physical paper ballots directly. We handle vote counting sheets through an analog method. The systems are entirely different, yet people equate them to push election fraud conspiracy theories. My position is that we should speak strictly based on facts and evidence.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Furthermore, former President Yoon Suk Yeol's photograph was affixed to it. I do not know whether Floor Leader Chung Jeom-shik was aware of that, but former President Yoon has been impeached and has receded into history. Leader Jang holding a loudspeaker displaying Yoon's photo could be interpreted as longing for that era. I recall you took an anti-impeachment stance during the past impeachment proceedings.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : I opposed former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. My reason was that it was not merely the impeachment of an individual, but an impeachment of the constitutional framework of the Republic of Korea's liberal democracy. Look at what the Democratic Party has done over the past year or more; have they not completely undermined the values and foundation of this nation? I sought to prevent this systemic impeachment by proposing a win-win solution for the president, our party, and our political bloc. I sent attorneys to the president twice, urging him to declare during his final statement before the Constitutional Court that he would step down and call for a swift constitutional amendment to shorten the presidential term. That way, the impeachment could be dismissed, and we could all stand back up together in a win-win scenario. That was my personal proposal, but it did not materialize.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : After the impeachment verdict was delivered, a figure close to the Constitutional Court had previously urged me to have the president issue a final message before the April 4 ruling, declaring that he would complete all schedules and step down by the June local elections at the latest. There were discussions of that nature.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : I see. In any case, Leader Jang still uses a loudspeaker featuring former President Yoon's photo, which could be viewed as nostalgia for that period.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : I believe former President Yoon, Leader Jang Dong-hyeok, myself, and former Leader Han Dong-hoon must all stand before the public and history with an attitude of atonement and responsibility. Did the Yoon Suk Yeol administration not fail? We are all guilty parties sharing joint responsibility for that failure. We are also the ones who provided the cause that allowed the Lee Jae-myung administration to dismantle our liberal democratic republic. Therefore, we must all atone before history and the people, offer our conscientious confessions, and seek forgiveness from the public. Furthermore, didn't we fight bitterly amongst ourselves over whether to support or oppose the impeachment? We must forgive one another and demonstrate a solemn resolve to revive the Republic of Korea through national reconciliation. That is what I continue to advocate.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. Let me turn to current pending issues. You are a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Next Tuesday, I believe, is nominee Kim Seung-won's confirmation hearing. The Democratic Party has not agreed to adopt a single witness. How does the People Power Party plan to navigate this hearing?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : We requested 44 witnesses and four expert witnesses—a total of 48 individuals—and they refuse to accept a single one. However, independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has released various materials and documents, and as a former justice minister, he knows this case inside and out. We have reviewed substantial documentation and must proceed using our own investigative research. The framing revolves around whether this was conveying a petition for public interest or whether it was exploited for private lobbying. This involves Kang Se-chan, as he is known.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Kang Se-chan.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : We will uncover the links connecting Gencell CEO Kang Se-chan, broker Yang Soo-jin, Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, and former Minister of Food and Drug Safety Kim Gang-lip.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Alongside this, eight companies are tied to stock manipulation. On October 26, 2021, clinical trial approval was granted, causing Sejong Medical's stock price to surge from 2,000 won to 8,000 won. Then came an outright pump-and-dump scheme, resulting in an illicit windfall of 18.2 billion won. We have the individuals tied to this stock manipulation, along with the issue of a suspended indictment concerning a 5 million won political donation tied to reciprocal promises. Moreover, there is the matter concerning his spouse: establishing an association for children with developmental disabilities in Suwon, where the family received 880 million won in government vouchers, with 330 million won allocated as family salaries. There are countless matters to address.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : In any case, the person spearheading these issues right now is independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Indeed.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : You mentioned adopting him as a witness. Is that completely off the table now? It seemed other Legislation and Judiciary Committee members within the People Power Party were not keen on having him as a witness either.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : The crux of the issue is that a divide exists between lawmaker Han Dong-hoon and our party. Yet I believe that now is the time to unite magnanimously for our struggle against the ruling party. We should utilize the capabilities and resources that lawmaker Han possesses and show that unity to the public. However, adopting a witness fundamentally requires the consent of the Democratic Party, which holds an overwhelming legislative majority.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : At yesterday's Supreme Council meeting, Supreme Council members Woo Jae-jun and Cho Kwang-han had a heated debate over reassigning independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Since he is currently an independent, committee assignments fall under the authority of the National Assembly speaker. There is practically nothing we can do on our own.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Is that so?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : To place him on the committee for the confirmation hearing, Speaker Cho must approve it. What our party can do is lift his disciplinary status and reinstate him so he can move forward with us, but the party is currently not considering that scenario at all.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Do you find the party's stance regrettable?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Regarding the party's posture, I believe we must discard our petty egos right now, cooperate, and move forward together for the struggle against the ruling party and to defend the Republic of Korea. That is my position.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Lawmaker, the president did not explicitly use the words "I will not seek a second term" regarding term limits, but stated to the effect that "my term conforms to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea."
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : He stated that the presidential term is restricted by the Constitution. I view that as an insincere stopgap and mere wordplay. When asked previously to declare that he would not seek re-election, he responded, "Are you telling me to commit theft? Does that make any sense?" He should not speak that way. Article 70 of our Constitution prescribes a single five-year term. Furthermore, Article 128, Paragraph 2 stipulates that any constitutional amendment to extend the presidential term or allow re-election shall not apply to the president in office at the time. All he needs to do is declare that he will adhere to Article 128, Paragraph 2, yet he refuses to say that and continues to make vague remarks.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood.
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : It shows a lack of sincerity.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : A lack of sincerity. Regarding the Strait of Hormuz: as you are a foreign policy expert, today's JoongAng Ilbo reported that the presidential office issued a gag order regarding troop deployment to Hormuz and conducted an inspection targeting diplomatic and security agencies. How do you view this response from the presidential office?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : That is truly typical of the Lee Jae-myung administration. Now they are trying to track down leaks and crack down on those involved regarding the documents released by lawmaker Han Dong-hoon. Back in 2003, during former President Roh Moo-hyun's troop deployment to Iraq, open debate took place freely. At that time, a government fact-finding mission was dispatched twice, and a parliamentary delegation also visited Iraq. There must be open and uninhibited discussion. Having open deliberation on overseas deployment, followed by the president making a decision, persuading the National Assembly and the public, and securing consent—these are fundamental procedures. Acting like this is... truly typical of the Lee Jae-myung administration.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : So your position is that troops should be deployed?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : Naturally, we must deploy troops. In fact, it is already long overdue, both for the South Korea-U.S. alliance and for our national interest. The proposal was first received back in March this year. If we had repositioned the Cheonghae Unit, currently stationed in the Gulf of Aden, to the outer perimeter of the Strait of Hormuz, we could have demonstrated meaningful contribution. That would have provided immense momentum to the alliance. It would have given us far greater leverage in areas such as uranium enrichment under the South Korea-U.S. civil nuclear agreement, nuclear-powered submarines, and North Korea-U.S. relations.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : How do you think the president will ultimately decide?
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : In the end, the president will be dragged into doing it.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Being dragged into it means...
[Yoon Sang-hyun] : He will eventually deploy the troops. He has no other choice. Frankly, internal trust within South Korea-U.S. relations and between the two leaders has hit rock bottom. To give an example: when Trump visited the APEC summit in Gyeongju last November, President Lee presented him with a replica of a Silla gold crown. Do you know how much that cost? At the time, early morning press reports suggested it contained over 100 million won worth of gold. Not at all. It turned out it did not even cost 5 million won. Trump found out about this, and their relationship has been fraught with difficulties over various matters like this. Ultimately, everything came to light.
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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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